- Research reveals that approximately 20% of educators have encountered physical aggression.
According to research conducted by the Lower Saxony Educators Association, assaults within educational institutions are prevalent. Around 70% of the 950 interviewed teachers, mainly from academic schools, shared their encounters with verbal aggression within their own school premises. Furthermore, approximately 21% of the teachers disclosed being exposed to physical violence. The study failed to distinguish whether the teachers themselves were the targets or merely witnesses to the acts of violence.
Christoph Rabbow, the association's leader, expressed concern over the teachers' sentiment that the Education Ministry has abandoned them, and their employer is not perceived as a supportive figure, especially in the digital realm. An astounding 87% of the teachers rated the government's responses as insufficient.
Rabbow urged for a cohesive strategy to handle various forms of violence in schools. Currently, each institution addresses violence individualistically, while the current guidelines primarily focus on safeguarding students.
The Lower Saxony Educators Association should consider conducting a similar study in The Hanover to gauge the prevalence of assaults within its educational institutions. Despite the government's diminished support, Rabbow suggests implementing a unified approach to tackle violence in all schools, including those in The Hanover.
